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It may be a smaller tournament but that doesn’t make it any less important.
Get ready League of Legends fans!
First Stand 2026, the first Major League of Legends tournament of the year, is only a few days away. Starting March 16, eight teams will converge at Sao Paolo, Brazil, to fight not just for pride, but to also get their region a head start in the competitive season.
In the Group stage, the eight teams will be split into two groups of four. From there, they’ll face off in a double elimination bracket where teams who lose twice are out of the tournament. The remaining four teams will then head to the playoffs, where a single elimination bracket will decide our First Stand 2026 champion.
It’s a straightforward format but every match is a best-of-five, meaning that teams are in it for the long haul. And with the tournament adopting the now standard Fearless Draft format, every team is going to need to dig deep if they want to come out on top.
Starting the Year Right
While First Stand 2026 may not be the grandest tournament, it still has bearing on the future of the season. The winning team grants their region a second bye in the upcoming Mid-Season Invitational happening later this year. China and South Korea have the advantage thanks to having two teams but with how fierce the competition is this year, it can still be anyone’s tournament.
Fans can also show their support with the upcoming Warhounds Senna skin. From March 18 to April 15, a portion of the proceeds of the skin and any associated bundles will go to participating LoL Esports teams. Twitch Drops will be running throughout the tournament, with an exclusive emote Dropping during the grand finals.
Excited for the first big League of Legends tournament of the year? Then make sure to catch it on their official Twitch and Youtube channels.
Banner images from Christina Oh / Riot Games.